The Journey Ahead
by BumbleBeee96
Summary: This fanfiction is a collection of one-shots showing certain events of the time between the end of 'Unexpected, Unforgettable You' and the sequel; which is non-existent at the moment. You'll see things like first date disasters, a fire in Becker's kitchen, Matt and Emily's wedding, and meeting the soon to be in-laws. This can be classed as no. 2.5 in the Jayme Cutter series.
1. Author's Note

**Author's note:**

The epilogue of 'Unexpected, Unforgettable You' took place six months after the last chapter of it; where Amanda dies, Kate dies, and Jayme's shot.

The sequel I have planned will take place eight months after 'Unexpected, Unforgettable You'.

Basically, while I'm taking a small break and then planning for the sequel, I have decided to write some little one-shots, just for fun, that take place between the six months, and then between the eight months. This is just to pass the time and let me write while I take the break between the two books; but it is all connected to the storyline. However, it isn't necessary to read and it isn't hugely significant, so you won't miss anything if you skip this and go on to read the sequel.

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me from the beginning of this series, and thanks to everyone who has begun reading since then. It is all greatly appreciated. You guys are the reason I have more confidence in my writing, so as you can imagine it really means a lot to me :)


	2. Bed Rest

_**April 2015...**_

.

"Somehow I really doubt that this is what the doctor told you to do," The brunette stated, one hand wrapped gently around the soldier's neck as he carried her through the familiar corridor of the apartment building.

"He said, and I quote, that you need plenty of bed rest to keep your blood pressure and stress levels down," Becker responded, although the smirk on his lips showed he was loving this far more than he should be, "It's the road to recovery,"

"So now I'm not allowed to walk?" Jayme retorted, rolling her eyes at the man holding her in his arms.

"You've just been released from the hospital, there's no need to rush things. Becker and I will happily look after until you're allowed to be on your feet more," Jess intervened, heels clacking across the wooden floor as she wandered beside them, key in hand as they approached her apartment.

"It's been over a month, I feel fine; can't I just go back to my life?" A certain pleading tone in her voice only made Becker chuckle out loud, ignoring her question as Jess held the door open for them, "You're enjoying this way too much,"

"Maybe a little, it's nice to be looking after you for a change; you're way too independent, I doubt I'll get the chance that often," The soldier stated, heading straight for the bedroom, only stopping as he stood beside her bed, "If I lay you down will you promise me that you'll not get back up?"

"No,"

"Come on, Jayme, you're acting like a five year old," He stated, still finding it difficult to resist laughing at the brunette who was sending one hell of a glare his way. Though luckily, she was a lot less intimidating when he knew she couldn't fight back. "At least try not to stress your body out too much for the next few days, you're on bed rest, understand?"

"Yes, Doctor Becker," Her tone may have been completely mocking, but it was the closest he was going to get to any acceptance tonight, so he took it.

"Good," He concluded, placing her gently on the bed, at which she shifted instantly, moving up to get herself comfortable, "And I definitely like the sound of Doctor Becker," He added, sending her playful wink before he walked back out through the open door.

"I've got plenty food in the fridge if you get hungry, I'm going to bed, it's been a long day," Jess stated, as she caught sight of the soldier heading back out of the bedroom.

"Got it, and thanks for letting me stay here to look after her,"

"Anytime," The field co-ordinator called as she neared her door, soon shutting it behind her as she finally collapsed on the heavenly bed and found herself drifting to sleep before she even had the chance to change.

Becker, on the other hand, went straight to the fridge, fishing out a bottle of water before traipsing back into the bedroom, only realising now what Jess had meant, it really had been a _long_ day, and he hadn't felt how exhausted he was until this moment. There was the mass of paperwork they still had to attend to after the Amanda situation, not to mention the anomaly that decided to worm its way into today's schedule, and then he had to sit listening to a woman droning on about some lump she was having removed while he waited for Jayme to be released from the hospital, the moment he had been waiting for just over a month to come true. It was the best way to find out for certain that she was definitely recovering and there had been no altercations; she had been incredibly lucky, no vital organs or bones hit. It was mostly just the blood loss that had been the main issue.

"I'm guessing it's doctor's orders for me to be supervised twenty-four-seven?" The brunette questioned, already under the sheets, feeling the oncoming arrival of sleep try to take over.

"Something like that," The soldier responded, "I just missed you," He added, sending a smile her way before removing his shirt and pants, stripping down to his boxers, a sight that Jayme was happy to be awake to see. Best road to recovery had to be the allowance of a very nice body; attached to a man she loved, climbing into bed with her to keep her warm and safe throughout the night. Not that she was planning on admitting it to him; she was still trying to be mad at him about the ridiculous bed rest rule and not being allowed to do anything for herself. This was going to be a painful next few days, and she was not talking about the injury.

"I'm pretty sure you visited me at least every day," The brunette stated, a slight level of sarcasm in her voice as she mocked his choice of words.

"Just go to sleep," He murmured, switching off the lamp beside them, having no energy to argue, and wrapping an arm across her waist, taking her hand in his as he let the soft bed beneath carry them to a deep sleep. Truth was she didn't really have enough energy inside of her to keep the conversation going either, instead she decided to push aside her frustration and relax in his arms. Just for tonight. She could argue again in the morning.

The shrill sound of the alarm echoing throughout the bedroom was enough to make Jayme want to throw it out the window; unfortunately her course of action was stolen from her as the soldier leaned over to turn it off.

"You know, if you'd given me five seconds alone with it, we wouldn't have to deal with that alarm ever again," The brunette stated, running her hands through her hair as best as she could as she lay on the bed, not wanting to move.

"It's an alarm clock, not a murderer, Jayme," Becker explained, his voice way too chipper for just waking up, way too chipper for Becker's usual attitude, and she was certain he had purposely waited until the alarm came on instead of waking her quietly, "Anyway, good morning to you," He added, giving her soft kiss on the forehead before leaving the bed.

"Can I at least get up today?" The brunette questioned, sitting with her back against the bed frame behind, feeling a little too hopeful for a positive answer.

"Do the words bed rest mean anything to you?" And clearly she wasn't going to get one.

"Becker, I swear to god, if you don't stop saying bed rest I am going to kill you,"

"Shouldn't threaten the person in charge of looking after you," The soldier stated, a clear smirk on his lips as he stood by the doorway, in a way that Jayme was sure he was just doing to tease her, just because he was allowed to stand up and walk about didn't mean he had to rub it in.

"Please just let me move, I'm _dying _here," She begged, putting on her best puppy dog eyes, a look that she knew was nowhere near as good as his or Connor's, and she could easily guess it wasn't going to work.

"No, you were dying a month ago, now you're just annoyed," He stated, turning around to walk out into the apartment. Although having to swiftly duck as a pillow came hurtling his way, ending up on the floor in front of him. "Missed,"

"Next time, Becker, next time," She called, collapsing back into the bed in defeat; she did not have the energy to argue against him, and since when did he begin to match her stubbornness anyway?

"How's she doing?" Jess questioned, pouring two cups of coffee out, taking one for herself alongside the plate of toast for a quick breakfast.

"She really hates bed rest," The soldier replied, taking a gulp of coffee and grabbing eggs from the fridge to fry.

"I would love to stay in bed all day," Jess murmured, mostly to herself, "Lester said he'd give you some days off to look after her, by the way,"

"Yeah, but Jayme's not like most people, she doesn't do well being looked after," He told her with a smile, "I'm surprised, what'd you say to convince him?"

"Told him he wouldn't have to deal with you if you weren't here, apparently that sold the deal pretty quick," She explained, smirking at his reaction, he wasn't convinced, "And maybe I said I'd lend a hand to his pile of paperwork, you know, on top of my own, that's a lot of paperwork, Becker,"

"You're a star, Jess. I don't how I'll repay y-" Although he soon realised he shouldn't have said those words, and instantly regretted it at the devious look on Jess' face.

"Well, you could offer to do the extra paperwork, I mean you'll be here all day, and I know for a fact Jayme won't let you do everything for her so don't try to use her as an excuse, it's the least you can do really,"

"Fine, Jess, just bring it back after work,"

"No need," The field co-ordinator stated, a certain joy in her voice as she lifted the stack of papers out from her bag onto the table, "I thought you might owe me," She added, giving him a smile before taking the much emptier bag and practically skipping towards the apartment door, "You have no idea how much of a relief that is,"

"I'm beginning to understand," Becker responded in a dry tone, shaking his head and smiling as she left the apartment, a lot more cheerful than she had been just a few minutes before.

After preparing a luxurious breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, beans and mushrooms, enough for two, or maybe ten, and of course two steaming cups of coffee, the soldier wandered back into the bedroom, placing the tray down on the bed and joining the brunette.

"Remind me later that I need to shop for Jess," Becker stated, "I may have gone slightly over the top in the kitchen to prepare a nice breakfast for you,"

"You're such a girl," Jayme teased, sitting upright beside him and digging into the food, it was such a relief to not have to eat hospital food for a change.

"I am not a girl," The pitch of his voice rising in defence making the brunette raise her eyebrows at him, "I can cook, it's not a big deal, and if I recall you should be thanking me for going to the trouble of doing all of this in the first place,"

"Someone's a little sensitive," She stated, rolling her eyes as he opened his mouth to defend, "But I do thank you for going through _all_ this trouble, Captain,"

"Yeah, the sarcasm really shows it,"

She smirked, before leaning in and planting a kiss on his lips, lingering for a second before pulling away, "Better?" She questioned, taking a sip of the coffee as she waited for a response.

"Getting there,"

The brunette smiled back as his hand cupped her face and they met halfway, lips touching briefly. They paused for a moment, skin barely brushing until he couldn't hold back and the teasing stopped, kiss deepening and hearts fluttering. "And now?" She whispered, once their lips fell apart once more and they were left with a gap between them that could only fit a sheet of paper, if it was lucky. However, her question was shortly answered as the gap closed again and the food lay forgotten for a few extra minutes, and the kiss made his head explode as he felt an overwhelming happiness take over, it was good to be with her outside the hospital again. He'd missed her way too much.

"I'll take that as a yes, Doctor Becker," The brunette stated, a little more breathless than she had realised and a satisfied glint in her blue eyes.

"Exactly,"

"I guess I'll say bed rest has its perks, you and food, all day long," She admitted, leaning back against the bed frame, "But you're going to let me walk about for a bit, right?"

"Nope, shower and toilet is your only reason to get up," Becker stated, still in defiance.

"Please tell me you're joking, just a little walk?"

"Nope,"

"Come on, Becker?"

"What happened to the perks of bed rest?" The soldier questioned, pitch rising in disbelief.

"They were small perks," She responded, measuring the amount with her fingers in a way that made Becker laugh, "I can walk tomorrow though, right?"

"Bed rest for a couple days, Jayme. You were shot, I know you're healing but it's not over just yet, give yourself a break,"

"When you say a couple days, you mean after today, right?"

The look on the soldier's face already told her the answer, but he still felt as though he had to put it into words, "No, Jayme,"

"How do you expect me to be the person I am and not walk about and do some things for myself?"

"That's not going to work,"

"I hate you,"

"No you don't,"

"That's not the point," The brunette stated, annoyance in her tone, "Ok, will you at least think about a walk tomorrow?"

"No,"

"You do realise I can just as easily get out of this bed myself and violate your precious bed rest rule, right?"

"I'll just carry you back, Jayme, kicking and screaming if I have to," The soldier responded, turning his face slightly to look at her again.

"Kicking and screaming aren't my style,"

"And that's one of the reasons why I love you. I don't think I could handle a kicker or a screamer, actually I take that second part back," He added, rethinking his words, and smirking.

She slapped his arm, throwing the smirk off his lips, "Trust you to think of it like that,"

"It wasn't on purpose,"

"I'm sure it wasn't, Becker," She responded, rolling her eyes, "And that's one of the reasons why I love you, I don't think I could handle someone who couldn't let their mind relax once in a while, although it is pretty difficult to get you to do that,"

"Me? You were the difficult one, still are. You're so stubborn with your feelings," He stated, smiling at her, "You're definitely a Cutter,"

"I do know one feeling I'm not stubborn about, at least not anymore," The brunette added, a curious expression falling over Becker's face, "The fact that I love you,"

"I love you too," He responded, kissing her lips before finishing off the cup of coffee beside the tray of food.

"So, about that walk..."


	3. Dates, Disasters, Romance & Raptors

_**May 2015...**_

.

As the credits began rolling down the screen and the sound died down into music, the soldier unhooked his arms from around the brunette and sat up against the couch, letting her lean back into his chest. Their bodies were still warm, the extra heat lingering from the two hours they were cuddled up on the cushions, cosy and at peace.

"So, that was your favourite film?" Jayme questioned, shifting her position so that she was beside him, able to see him clearly as they talked.

"This was strictly confidential if you remember, but yes, Top Gun is one of my favourite films. If you tell anyone though, I will have to kill you," He responded, grabbing the beer from the table and taking a quick drink.

"Didn't picture your favourite being a romance?" The brunette stated, trying her best to hide her smile.

"It has plenty of manly parts in it, it was an action, there were F-14's, and it was a Navy film..."

"And Kelly McGillis had nothing to do with it?"

"She was... part of it," He began, watching as she raised her eyebrows, "But the entire film is genius, but like I said, don't tell anyone," Becker stated, sending her a warning look; he wouldn't be able to show his face if Connor knew this little piece of information that he shared with Jayme, he was pretty sure none of them expected one of his favourite films to be a romance, it was just his guilty pleasure.

"My lips are sealed," She added, motioning a zip of the lips after she spoke, still not being able to stop the smirking.

"Well that'll be no fun, how am I meant to do this..." He shifted forward, pressing his lips against hers, and in an attempt of determination she remained closed, although after a couple seconds she couldn't help but laugh.

She slapped his arm gently, sending him a playful glare after recovering, "Stop trying to be irresistible, or I'll hurt you, badly," The brunette threatened, though she failed at keeping her voice serious.

"No wonder you didn't like the film as much as me, you can't handle romance,"

"Oh, I can do romance, but that film was cheesy, still pretty good though," Jayme admitted, "Anyway, I think if I ask the ARC they'll say that you and romance do not mix, and if I ask Zach, well let's just say he's already told me about the lines of girls with no names that came before me and any other relationship you've had,"

"Ok, you make it sound a lot worse than it is, and if you ask Zach, he'll also say that I can be very romantic when I want to be,"

"Well, you did have to get the girls somehow,"

"I got you didn't I?" At which the brunette sent another glare towards him, "I'm also pretty sure our relationship, and all the time we've been together could be classed as some cliché romantic, although very disastrous, stressful and incredibly frustrating, journey,"

"You sure know how to make a girl feel special," The brunette stated, voice edged with sarcasm, "I'll admit you can be alright when you want to be,"

"And you know what? I've just realised I've never actually had the chance of taking you on a real first date, after that I can promise you that you won't be doubting my romantic side. And all these nights together with takeout and films don't count," Becker responded, speaking the words before they had a chance to cross her mind.

"Fine, show me what you've got, soldier boy," Jayme challenged, raising her eyebrows at the man.

"It's been over three years; didn't I tell you a long time ago that I didn't like nicknames?" Becker queried, suppressing a smile as he watched her.

"Captain Becker, it's been over three years, haven't you realised that I don't always do as you ask?" The brunette teased.

"One can only hope," The soldier stated, shaking his head at her, "Anyway, tomorrow night at seven be ready, I want to take the girl I love on a proper date,"

"And what am I going to do, just stand there and watch?" Jayme questioned, smirking at him, "Ok, that sounds like a plan,"

.

Jess' gaze shot straight up as the apartment door opened, and instantly she bounded over, looking at the brunette with a slightly surprised expression. "Where've you been?" She questioned, dropping her phone on the counter as Jayme came in, shocked by the abrupt greeting.

"Out for a jog," She stated; confusion in her voice and watching her friend with complete perplexity in her face.

"Your date is in just over an hour, you're not ready, you need a shower, hair, makeup, dress; did you even think about any of that?" The field co-ordinator exclaimed, listing the items off on her fingers before pushing the brunette towards her room.

She simply laughed in response, "Jess, there's plenty of time. I'll take a quick shower, choose the outfit, easy," She spun around back to face her roommate, holding her still as she spoke. "I've got it all planned,"

"Jayme, this is yours and Becker's first date, you have to look special. Ah, I'm so excited for you; first dates are the best," The brunette laughed at Jess' squeal of delight, this girl was always a bundle of happiness and joy, where did she find the energy to be so excited about everything, including things that didn't directly involve her?

"You know what? Ok, I'll go shower, and you can help me choose an outfit, deal?" Jayme asked; hand on the room's door handle behind her.

"If you let me do your hair and makeup?"

"If you don't go overboard?"

"Deal," Jess responded, sealing the promise and making sure she wouldn't back out of any of this, she was determined to show Jayme how special this all could be. For Jess, she loved this part, first dates were amazing. Though it probably wasn't exactly the same with Jayme and Becker seeing how they'd been officially together a month or so prior to this, and then whatever had gone on between them before that.

"Good, I'll be out soon," Was all the brunette said before disappearing into the room and heading towards the bathroom. Jess smiled at herself, knowing already that this would be perfect for the couple; they deserved a good night out after everything that had happened. And now, she could go and pick out some outfit choices; this was going to be fun.

As time passed on, Jayme was at last sitting on the chair in front of Jess; her own reflection staring back as she gazed into the mirror, and she finally thought about how much had actually changed since she met Becker those three years ago. Everything was so different in her life now. She had friends who cared about her, who she cared about; it was beginning to feel like she actually had family again. Her father, Nick, was there for her, someone she could depend on, someone who loved her. And then there was Becker, he was truly remarkable. Him just being there in her life showed her feelings she'd never thought she would feel. Love. He loved her and she loved him, and that was something she could never have had if she remained in the past, that was a void that couldn't be filled with meaningless flings, it was something that changed her life, and made her feel like she actually belonged for the first time in a long time.

"I think you're ready," Jess' voice brought her back to reality as the hands stopped fiddling with her hair and the field co-ordinator stepped back to admire her work, "It's not extreme or dramatic, it's relaxed, so you should like it," She added, smiling at the brunette, "It's very you,"

"Thanks Jess, it's great, you're great," Jayme stated, realising that she should probably try and let her know how much she meant to her. It was true. She really did think Jess was brilliant; she'd never had a friend as close as she was becoming. It was all new, but the brunette was learning quickly that although having real friendships and relationships were scary, and it meant a part of it included responsibilities she'd never had before, it was so much better and meaningful than the pretences she once hid behind.

"I know," The field co-ordinator quipped, spinning around on her heel as she picked up the dress behind her, "And Becker won't know what hit him when he sees you in this,"

"You know it didn't have to be quite so-"

"It's perfect, Jayme. There's nothing wrong with dressing up for a date, in fact compared to some of the outfits I've worn for my dates, this is practically every day clothing. Now put it on,"

The brunette did as she was told, taking the dress from her, "Funny enough, _that_ I can believe," She replied with a smile.

Jayme already knew not to question Jess' fashion sense; she usually knew exactly what she was talking about. And she had to admit, the outfit was good. A short, dark blue dress, strapless, and with a cluster of diamonds just under the top, it was beautiful, and she did suit it, she just felt strange being so normal, dressing up and going out, it was different to how she used to live. Luckily, Jess had done exactly what she had asked, nothing fancy with the hair, it was simple and straight, and the makeup was light and natural. Jess was a genius.

The brunette wandered back out into the apartment where Jess was sat by the counter, silver heels in hands to pass to her as she walked her way. "Told you I knew what I was doing," The field co-ordinator smirked, just in time for the doorbell to ring and her to feel a twinge of excitement despite it not being her date. All she wanted was a relationship like theirs, or Abby's and Connor's and Emily's and Matt's, to be in love and comfortable with each other; looks like she was going to have to wait for the right man to come along. Prince Charming better be pretty damn good for him to keep her waiting so long. She lifted her head up just in time to see Jayme opening the door, and a very different and very dapper Becker step into the apartment. If she'd known he owned outfits like that she wouldn't mock him so much at work, well maybe she would have a little; after all, it appeared as though the colour didn't change. Even so, she definitely liked the silk black tuxedo, a few buttons undone on the shirt, you'd have to be blind to not be surprised and impressed when seeing him like this.

"You look..." He hesitated, words failing him as his eyes fell upon the brunette and instantly he knew this was one of the best ideas he'd ever had.

"I told you," Jess stated, after a moments silence, "He'll not know what hit him,"

The brunette let out a small laugh before turning back to face the soldier, a smirk on her lips as he raised his eyebrows at the two women. "Let's go, Captain," Jayme stated, saying a quick goodbye to Jess before manoeuvring Becker out the door, preferably before Jess said anything else and he started asking questions about their conversations.

The drive to the restaurant was a mixture of Becker's thoughts trying to get the best of him as he promised himself that he would make it a perfect date, and friendly conversation between the two which included him trying to discover what her and Jess talked about and how much of it involved himself. It was by far his favourite first date, no awkwardness considering they already knew each other well, and no worrying since he knew that he loved her and nothing would come in-between that. His only concern was proving that he could be romantic, he was determined to meet her challenge, and he was sure that by the end of their night her mocking would cease. However, the brunette had to admit, although slightly reluctantly, that this was a lot better than she thought it would be. It was great in fact, fun, comfortable, and different. She'd never had someone who cared so much in her entire life. And he was without a doubt going out of his way to be the perfect gentlemen, no flaws in his date so far, and she honestly did appreciate it.

"So, I'm not romantic am I?" The soldier questioned; a smirk on his lips as he took a sip from the glass of the champagne and placed it back on the table.

"Not bad, soldier boy, I'll give you that," Jayme responded, glancing around the restaurant. It was cosy, dark red walls, wooden floors, romantic lighting, it certainly set the scene. What made it even better was the table he'd reserved, right beside the large window of the building, overlooking the river with the lights reflecting across the water surface. "Ok, it's amazing," The brunette admitted, turning back to face him.

"Really?" Becker asked, raising an eyebrow at her in self satisfaction, a smirk on his lips.

"Yeah," She stated, "You deserve to know that, you always seem to have everyone's interests at heart and I honestly really admire that," And that only made her feel nervous but the gentle smile on his face did relax her mind. The one thing she desperately wanted to say was that he was everything she wished she could have been, and the kind of person she wished she was, but that was a truth she couldn't say out loud for reasons that she didn't understand. It felt way too risky and way too vulnerable and in all honesty that put her in a place she wasn't comfortable with, it scared her. Fortunately, he seemed pretty satisfied with the words she did say, and luckily, they were also very truthful.

"You're incredible you know that?" He replied, not taking his eyes off her.

"I wouldn't say that," Jayme murmured. But before even getting the chance to open his mouth, the soldier was cut off by a scream from the other side of the restaurant. Some people around them stood up, others talked amongst themselves, and Becker's expression rapidly changed to concern as another scream rippled through the air. That was when people started running, and the sound of breaking glass rushed to their ears, followed by a noise they had both heard before, but not one they wanted to hear again. Any suspicion still lingering was diminished as the brunette turned her head, yellow eyes staring straight at her through the glass, the head of the creature watching her curiously.

"Jayme..." The soldier began nervously, watching every movement as the Utahraptor stared straight at her through the window, a circle of steam hitting the glass as it breathed. "Move towards me,"

She followed his orders, keeping her body as still as possible, and her steps silent, while she moved. It had only taken a couple steps before the creature moved back and her breath caught in her throat as she stopped dead. Her eyes flashed to the floor, the sickle-shaped claw scraping the ground and in that second she knew what was about to happen. The raptor charged, the glass shattered and the brunette jumped straight out of the way into Becker. She grabbed his shirt, pushing him to the wall and out of sight as the creature shook the glass away and stepped further into the restaurant.

"Is anyone hurt?" Becker questioned, keeping his voice low after the Utahraptor disappeared around the corner.

"I don't know, I'm hoping everyone got out alright," The brunette responded, stepping back from the soldier as she moved back into the dining area of the restaurant. She couldn't see any bodies, but if the raptor followed anyone, they'd be dead in seconds. It was quick on its feet, and definitely not stupid.

"How many do you think there were?"

"I couldn't tell you, we know there's at least two but we can't go up against them alone. Just when you think Velociraptors are bad, something like this comes along," She murmured, watching her feet on the glass as she walked.

"Basically a much bigger, badder, meaner version?" Becker queried.

"Pretty much sums it up, can you call Matt? See if they're-"

"Shh," He cut her off, pressing a finger to his lips and silently rushing over to her side. She stayed quiet, and before he could shake his head and convince himself it had been nothing, another sound reached their ears; a chair flipping over. It was still here. The raptor let out a loud call, and she desperately hoped there weren't many others out there to respond. However, a minute or so later the shuffling silenced and the room fell still once more, the couple began moving again, approaching the bar and entrance, no creatures in sight.

"You think it's gone?" The soldier questioned, though in the back of his mind he knew it was too good to be true.

"Stop asking me things I don't know," Jayme stated, slight irritation in her voice, although the small smile she let slip had him doubting the seriousness of her words.

They both grew instantly relieved when the nearing sound of cars approached, and they were almost certain the ARC had responded to the anomaly alert, which must have opened somewhere around here. Though just as Becker was about to reassure her, a heart-stopping clicking reached their ears, and they were met face on with one of the Utahraptors, yellow eyes watching them carefully. The claw continued to click against the ground as it relaxed and contracted, and the sound was beginning to give an eerie feeling to the scene. But the brunette pushed Becker out of the way as the raptor shot forward, and as she ran the opposite direction she felt her foot give way atop the heel and her hands gripped the bar counter to stop herself from falling.

"Clearly not useful when running from raptors," She muttered, quickly pulling of the shoes and throwing them straight towards the creature, though evidently irritating it further as it made another lunge. Only missing by a fraction, Jayme dived over the bar, knocking various bottles to the floor around her as she fell down the other side, landing on her hands and front, a sharp but short-lived pain shooting through her wrists. She rose up quickly, finding the raptor's attention on Becker, and without really thinking picked up a bottle and threw it towards the creature, glass shattering against its skin.

"Bad idea, Jayme," Becker stated, watching anxiously as yellow eyes averted their attention back to the brunette and then she threw another bottle, wincing at the sound of breaking glass.

"Well if we had a gun, we wouldn't be having this problem!" She shot back, sarcasm in her voice, though her eyes remained on the predator on the other side of the bar.

"Sorry I don't tend to bring weapons on my dates," The soldier called, and the creature simply turned its head between the two, gaze flickering and clearly choosing which prey to catch.

She caught her window of opportunity as it focused back on the soldier, and using the small bag carried over her shoulder, she grabbed the item she was looking for straight out from inside of it and launched it at the raptor, steadying her aim and hoping the skin wasn't too thick.

"You brought a knife on our date?" His voice was pitched higher in surprise, and his wide eyes shot to the silver metal sticking into the side of the creature. It didn't seem to distract it for long enough, instead it gave a loud call before readying for a launch of attack. Though the lunge was cut short, and the creature dropped to the floor mid-run. The couple's attention was quickly averted to the entrance where Matt stood, EMD in hand and a rather amused expression on his face.

"Glad you could make it," Jayme stated, her voice breathless from fear, as she made her way back around the bar, pulling the knife from the creature and looking up at Becker, "It was for emergencies," She defended, shrugging her shoulders, a smile on her face as she waited for a look of approval from the soldier.

"I'm not even going to ask," Matt added, glancing at the pair, "I take it you were on a date?"

"No, Matt, we just like chasing dinosaurs in these outfits," Jayme responded in a dry tone, rolling her eyes at him.

"First date," Becker corrected, shaking his head at the brunette before his eyes shifted back to Matt.

"'Bout time," The team leader stated, giving a smirk before being distracted by a large collection of shouting from behind him.

The three stood back in surprise as Connor hurtled through the restaurant, the jaws of another raptor not far from his back and the EMD in his hand was thrown behind in an attempt to hit and slow down the creature. It missed. Then he realised throwing away weapons was probably not the best idea. Before Matt had the chance to respond to the scene, Abby came rushing in behind, watching her husband with mixture of concern, amusement and bafflement, as he took a quick spin around the room, the raptor following.

"Someone shoot it, someone shoot it," Connor called anxiously, his words coming out incredibly quick as he ran, front arching out slightly to protect his back.

"Becker, watch-" The blonde shouted, as the raptor spun after Connor, tail following and crashing into the soldier who had no time to react, "...Out," She finished, scrunching up her face slightly as he was knocked to the floor, feeling his pain for him.

"Took you long enough!" Connor exclaimed, catching his breath as he was finally able to stand still, "Cheers, Matt,"

"No problem," The team leader stated, lowering his EMD, "Did you lock the anomaly before joining us?"

"Riley did, I went to see if there was an incursion," The younger man stated, "There was," He added with a smile, and Abby couldn't help but smile back as she listened to him, her husband certainly was an idiot at times, the good kind of idiot, her idiot.

"At least you're alright," She murmured, walking over and pecking his cheek, "I'll go get some people to help move these back through the anomaly," The blonde stated, shaking her head at him, an amused smile on her face, before wandering out of the broken restaurant in search of the security team.

"You should probably get him to the medic at the ARC and take him home," Matt suggested, glancing at the soldier on the floor as the brunette kneeled down to help him up.

"Good idea," She said with a smirk, and Matt knew he definitely wasn't the only one who found the situation rather funny. Connor was already trying to hold his laughter in as Becker wobbled on his feet.

"I think I hit my head," The soldier murmured, bringing a hand to the large bruise at the side of his face, going off and disappearing beneath his hair.

"Aw, poor baby," Jayme teased, chuckling to herself as she kept him upright.

"We should sue them, 'could work couldn't it?" He muttered the words, and his voice was sluggish, which only meant the brunette had to take a moment to decipher what he had actually said.

"You really need to take him home," Connor stated, not holding back the laughter anymore as the soldier took another small stumble across the floor, gripping his head and groaning.

"Shut it, Temple," Things were a little less fuzzy for a moment and Becker seriously hoped the throbbing in his head would cease, unfortunately it didn't last and he felt even worse in a matter of seconds. All he could really hear was Connor's laughter, and unfortunately, he wasn't quite finding the hilarity.

"Think he's got a concussion," Matt added, watching Becker lean against the wall, eyes squinting slightly in the light and groaning at the headache.

"You don't say?" Connor responded, voice full of sarcasm and a wide grin across his face. He couldn't wait to tell Abby what she missed after she came back from getting help.

Jayme laughed at the two before wandering over to the soldier, glancing back as she spoke, "I'll see you guys tomorrow,"

"You come back to work tomorrow?" Connor questioned, averting his attention back to the brunette.

"Yeah, well I'm only allowed to do light fieldwork until the last main check up in a couple weeks, but that's just because they want me to ease back into work. In other words, I can't wait until I can get back; I will definitely not miss the hospital," Jayme stated, giving them a smile before manoeuvring Becker out of the restaurant and into his car. It took a few goes to convince him she was driving, including a moment where he wanted to fight for it and at that point she really couldn't take him seriously. But after he reluctantly handed her the keys to his beloved vehicle, she was able to finally take him to ARC. As she could imagine, this was probably going to be an entertaining night.


	4. The Terrible Twos

_**May 2015...**_

_**.**_

As she put the phone down onto the counter, the brunette was swiftly met with Becker's scowl, and the raised eyebrows that followed only made her smile grow. "Something wrong?" She questioned, keeping her tone light as she folded her arms in front of her.

"Like you don't know," Had been all he said back, his gaze flickering to the phone before meeting hers again.

Jayme put on her best confused face, innocent eyes looking up at him, "I have no idea," She stated, trying her hardest to not let a laugh slip through the cracks at his expression.

"Double dating, seriously?" He finally asked, surprise and frustration in his voice and at that she found it incredibly difficult to not smile at him, "I love Abby and Connor, and so help me if you tell them I said that I'll kill you, but I don't think I could handle a double date, you know what Connor's like,"

"No, I don't. Tell me, Becker, what's Connor like?" The brunette queried, and she couldn't help but feel proud of the innocent voice she used, knowing fine well it would only irritate him more.

"Normally? Not too bad, but he's suggested double dating before and I know exactly what he'll be like by the way he acted then. He'll ask a bunch of annoying questions about us that I really don't want to answer,"

"He means well, Becker. And I don't know if I'll enjoy it either, but there's only one way to find out," He didn't answer, and she could only smirk at the glare he was sending her; she knew she was winning him over, it wasn't nearly as serious a glare as it had been earlier. "And, as long as you play nice," The brunette began, stepping closer to him, "I'll happily reward you when we get back," She promised, one hand playing with the fabric of his shirt as she talked, and when she looked up at him, he surrendered to a smile.

"Fine, but you better be serious," The soldier warned; everything in his voice showing clear reluctance.

"Dead serious," She repeated, nodding her head at the man, "But you have to be on best behaviour,"

"You too, I know how you can get, and with Connor there it won't take long until you..."

"Until I what?" Jayme questioned, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows at him, "Hmm?"

The soldier took a moment in thought, opening his mouth once and then closing it abruptly, instead he settled on another approach, "I love you,"

The glare she sent him wasn't unexpected, but he couldn't help the smile on his lips as he watched her, "Yeah, yeah," She muttered, shaking her head at him before walking out of the kitchen.

"Deal's still on, right?"

.

"Connor!"

This had to be the fifth time she'd called his name, and still no response. What on earth was that man up to? The blonde gently lay down the sleeping baby in her arms into the crib, planting a light kiss on her forehead and smiling down at her. Their daughter had to be the cutest baby she had ever laid eyes on. Though a shout from the other room stole her attention, and she shook her head before grabbing the jacket on the bed.

"You'll be lucky if you reach a year and I haven't killed daddy," Abby whispered down to Sarah, and for a second she could've sworn she'd seen a twitch by her small lips and her imagination only led her to believe the sleeping angel wanted to smile at her words. "Be good for Auntie Jess," She added, pulling the patch-work blanket over her body, a blanket that had belonged to Connor when he was a baby and had insisted their child should use. It was cute, each patch had a different animal stitched on, and for once she had to admit Connor had been right, their baby did love it.

"Connor?" The blonde called again as she left their room, throwing the jacket at his head as she found him on the sofa, game controller in hand and shouting at the T.V.

"Abby! I was on a winning streak, what did you do that for?" The man whined, and she could only grin at him, it was unbelievable how much of a kid her husband could be.

"Oh, I don't know, Con. Does the word date ring a bell?"

"It's seven already?" Connor questioned, surprise in his tone and once again she didn't have a clue how to react to his words.

"The dinner's at seven, so we leave at half six. Honestly, I'm sure you never listen to me," The blonde stated, sighing, "Now put your jacket on and turn of the telly," She ordered, taking one last look before sorting her purse out and grabbing her own jacket from the coat hangers. Before even having a chance to slide into it, the clothing was stolen from her hands, held out behind her so that she could put it on with ease. At that, she could only shake her head, "Being a gentleman doesn't let you off the hook, y'know?"

"Aw, come on, Abs. You know I don't mean to annoy you," The man murmured, now facing her, "Or forget, or lose track of time. But I do listen to you," He stated, giving her the puppy dog look, big brown eyes gazing at her, and she failed at resisting a smile and the second she let it slip, he grinned. A grin that made his dimples stand out, and his face soften even more, and his eyes glint in that way that made her heart skip a beat.

"I know," She sighed, pecking his lips before being distracted by the door opening, and Jess wandering into the apartment, exactly on time. "This was your idea, so you better be good, yeah?"

"What do you mean? I'm always good,"

He was met on with double the rolling of eyes, one from Abby, one from Jess. "Have a great night, you guys. Sarah will be perfectly happy with Auntie Jess," The field co-ordinator stated, sending a smile towards the two.

"Thanks Jess," The blonde replied, grabbing her husband's hand and pulling him towards the door, "If she wakes up-"

"I know where the milk is, and I know how to make it," Jess interjected, and just as Abby began to open her mouth again, the field co-ordinator spoke, "Rex's feeding time is in an hour, the salad's already made up in the fridge, Sid and Nancy have already ate, and are asleep and let's face it they probably won't wake until morning. Abby, we've been over this; all you need to do is have a good time, everything's under control,"

"Right," The blonde responded, nodding her head, "Just ring if you need anything," She added, giving her one last smile before the door closed, and the two could start on the double date. She could only hope that this night would actually go ok. Though, with both Connor and Becker there, she wasn't certain on her chances.

.

Once they had arrived at the restaurant, Connor and Abby half walked, half jogged, through the doors, borderline late. The blonde soon spotted Becker at the bar, and she suppressed a smile as she noticed his obliviousness to the intentions of the young waitress serving him, fluttering her false lashes and laughing at whatever he was saying, though she highly doubted it was actually that funny. She almost laughed herself as she watched the hand to the arm move, and Connor gave her a confused look as she did so; that is up until she whispered her reason behind it. Becker really could be naive to flirting at times, she'd seen it enough when Jess nursed that crush on him years ago, though that was thankfully in the past; it would've been slightly awkward if it wasn't given she and Jayme were good friends now.

"Where's the Mrs?" Connor questioned as they reached the bar, and Becker could only choke on his drink in response.

Abby raised an eyebrow, smirking at the recovering Captain as the waitress walked away to serve someone else, though by the look she gave him, the blonde was fairly certain she might try round two later in the night. That would be interesting.

"No need to sound so repulsed by marriage, action man," Abby gave him a light elbow in the side as Connor finished speaking, and he could only look at her with a surprised expression, not having the faintest idea why she had done so.

"Connor, really, I'm pretty sure they're not quite there yet," The blonde explained, sighing at her man; for someone so incredibly smart he could be so stupid at times. Though she was fairly certain it only served as another reason why she loved him.

"Bickering like an old married couple already?" Becker queried, his turn to raise an eyebrow at the two.

"Please, it was like this long before we were even together," Abby clarified, shaking her head as she thought back to when they were just friends, always arguing, but always caring about each other through thick and thin. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"That's true," The soldier agreed, "We might as well get a table now, she'll only be five minutes or so," He added, glancing down at his watch before standing up from the stool.

"Where is she anyway?" Connor asked, looking around as if the answer to his question was plastered on one of the walls.

"She spent the day with Danny, according to him they had a long overdue catch up," Becker told them, smiling; "Pretty sure it's the girliest thing he's ever said,"

"C'mon, they're bound to have a good dependency on each other after working together through the anomalies," The blonde stated as they wandered over to the table they were shown to.

"Yeah, it's good too, he's usually brutally honest with her, and she opens up to him, at least some of the time," The soldier explained, though his concentration was swiftly stolen by the cry from the other table.

"If I wanted to listen to a baby cry all day I'd stay at home," Connor murmured, though being abruptly met with Abby's glare. The man was thankfully saved from Abby's response by the new distraction, Jayme entering the restaurant. "Looks like your waitress girlfriend doesn't like your actual girlfriend," He teased, and as he turned his head to face Becker, he was met with the second glare of the night so far.

"How did we get to the waitress being my girlfriend?"

"She was flirting with you," Abby informed, smirking at his confused expression.

"No she- Never mind," Becker responded, not really wanting to go up against the blonde in this argument, she had a tendency to be very persistent, to the point of insanity.

"I think I'll go save her now," Abby added, standing up to correct any 'mistakes' the waitress had 'accidently' found in the reservation book, "She's with us," The blonde told her, though when met with a particular snooty look from the waitress she simply raised her eyebrows.

"Do you have some sort of problem with me walking past this point in the restaurant?" Jayme questioned sarcastically, already exhausted with trying to convince the woman there was a table under the name Becker and they were in fact in view of where she was standing.

"C'mon, before she gives some condescending reply and you start a fight," Abby suggested, keeping her voice quiet as she steered the tired-looking brunette towards the table.

"Hey, are you alright?" Becker questioned as Jayme sat down beside him, and he wrapped an arm around her, kissing her temple.

"Long day," The brunette replied, "Deal might have to wait until tomorrow," She added in a whisper, causing him to smirk and Connor to stare in puzzlement. "What's with the waitress anyway?"

"Becker's girlfriend," Connor stated; grinning from eye to eye as the soldier glared at him once more; he was sure soon enough it would beat his record of most glares from him in a day.

"She's not my girlfriend," Becker defended; his pitch rising, and Jayme could only look at him with a smirk on her face.

"He's a little sensitive," Abby informed her with a grin.

"That's not a surprise," Jayme added.

"New subject anyone?" Becker asked, or more so demanded in desperation as his gaze flickered between the two woman, though his attention was quickly averted to the two year old throwing a cup to the floor from the table near theirs. "And there you have one of the reasons why a restaurant like this shouldn't allow kids who throw tantrums like that,"

"Smart move, say that in front of the friends who have a kid of their own," Jayme teased.

Connor's quip in response was drowned out by a shriek this time, and more eyes glanced over to the table with the child. The brunette was beginning to give Becker the benefit of a doubt with his comment; she didn't blame him when it concerned a child that loud.

"Can we just pray that Sarah will skip that phase?" Abby questioned, wincing slightly as the child threw the cup to the floor once more and she was beginning to wonder if the parents had any control over him. They didn't seem like they cared anymore.

"I'll make sure of it," Connor assured, "Especially when action man's around,"

"It's not like I would shoot the kid, Temple," The soldier defended, "Well, at least not yours anyway," He murmured, eyes glancing back over the two year old boy. "Great, now they've let it loose,"

"It's not a- He's not a wild animal," Jayme corrected, though he smirked at the mistake in her words, "Ok, you win. I'm pretty sure no one's stopping that thing from wreaking havoc,"

"I don't like where this is going," Connor stated, watching as the mother gave her son a small bowl of spaghetti, "I remember one time my parents told me about when I was eating spaghetti in a restaurant, and I got the sauce everywhere, they refused to take me out again for a long while after that,"

"So basically this kid is what you were like?" Becker questioned, smirking slightly at the thought.

"I was nowhere near as bad as that!" Connor defended, "At least I don't think I was,"

"You still get food everywhere though, well, when you cook anyway," The blonde told him, smiling at her husband before watching as the child jumped off the chair.

"I never ran with the food," Connor exclaimed, a little louder than they'd expected, "Sorry, just thought I'd slip that in there," He added, though chuckling as he saw the mother get up to go after her son; he felt a little sorry for her, but he couldn't deny it was amusing.

The two year old kept running, as if it was a game and he shouldn't let anyone catch him. The bowl in his spaghetti covered hands was starting to slip from grip, and as the young boy tried to keep steady, his little feet tripped over, and the bowl went flying.

"Becker-" Jayme's words had come a little late, and the spaghetti slapped against the soldier's shirt as he jumped in surprise. If it hadn't been for the fact the boy was crying and to be truthful he was sure the mother was on the verge of tears herself, he would have complained, loudly, instead he kept his mouth shut. However, Connor's explosion of laughter didn't make it any easier.

"I am so sorry," The mother stated, as she picked her son up, and Jayme and Abby could only bite back a smile as Becker assured her it was alright.

"Are you ready to order?" The four looked up as the waitress had walked over, and Connor could only wonder about how bad her timing was, it was as if, to the restaurant, nothing had happened.

Abby and Connor gave their orders, though it had taken a few moments for her husband to take a breath before he could say his, and she was certain she'd never seen that shade of red on a person's face ever before, and he could only carry on laughing silently as his gaze fell upon Becker again. However, it was the waitress Abby was more interested in, she'd barely looked at herself and Connor, and instead her gaze was focused primarily on the food covered soldier, who still looked in a state of shock as he glanced down at his shirt. When he focussed back on ordering, he was first met with the waitress' stare, then Abby's, and he could tell by the raise of her eyebrows the blonde was amused by the situation.

"I'll have the Classic Burger, whereas my _girlfriend_..." Becker began, emphasising the words as he wrapped an arm around her, "Will have the Steak Pie," He finished, glancing at the waitress briefly before settling on smiling at the brunette. Abby had seemed a little too pleased at the scene as she grinned at the couple, and as soon as the waitress had walked away, slightly unimpressed by the soldier, Jayme passed him his arm back, although she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"I have spaghetti on my arm now," The brunette stated, taking a napkin and cleaning the food off her, "You're covered in it," She added, laughing at him, "But I guess I kind of love you,"

"Really? That's the first time you said that to me in front of anyone else," He told her, and he couldn't help the smile on his face, ignoring the stares from the couple opposite, "I love you too," He murmured, before pressing a soft kiss against her lips in satisfaction.

"Get a room," Connor muttered, as they separated, though Abby could see the happy glint in his eye as he spoke; he always was a sucker for romance.

"You might want to get cleaned up too," Jayme suggested, gesturing towards the sauce on his shirt.

"Yeah, the toilets are down there," Abby added, smirking at the soldier as he complied, shaking his hands free from food as he stood up, and then looking back up at the three.

"Good idea,"


End file.
